Hiraeth
by LunaticFringe'sAngel-LA15
Summary: Hiraeth: a homesickness for a home to which you cannot return, a home which maybe never was; the nostalgia, the yearning, the grief for the lost places of your past. Lucifer thought he had it all: love of his life, people who cared about him, a real family, a home. When he changes his mind and disappears, Chloe will stop at nothing to bring him home, with a bit of help, of course.
1. Girl's Trip

**Chapter One: Girl's Trip (And the Guys Are There Too)**

A/N: Every comment has demanded a sequel to the alternate ending, so here it is! I don't know what this'll be like updating wise because I have… 4 other fics I'm working on and school, but it'll be done… eventually. Anyway, this picks up right where we left off. For any new readers, I'd advise you to read the alternate ending and the first four chapters of the fic itself before reading this. Other than that, enjoy!

Disclaim: All characters and the show this fic is based off are owned by… Fox Entertainment (?)… and inspired by DC comics. I own nothing.

Dan, who'd just fallen asleep not ten minutes ago, cursed when he heard his phone go off. Groggily, he blindly reached for the nightstand next to his bed and brought the phone within eyesight. After a second ring, he pressed accept call before sitting up. "Chloe? It's almost midnight. What's wrong?" He was always happy to hear from her, but he'd gotten off early tonight, considering the amount of paperwork from their last case, and had planned to take full advantage of that fact, starting with a good night's sleep.

" _Dan_ …" she began, voice slightly wrecked yet cold as steel, " _I need your help_." He could automatically tell that something was up, his heart clenching painfully at her tone.

"With what? Are you alright?" He stood, flicking on the lights and wedging his phone between his ear and shoulder. He riffled through his drawers for a shirt and pair of jeans, then grabbed his jacket off his desk chair. He heard her let out a harsh breath.

" _No, not really_. _He_ … _left_ …" He heard her sniffle over the line, then let out a muffled curse.

Quickly pulling his shirt over his head, he asked in concern, "Who left?" He felt like he knew who she was talking about, but he'd wait for her to answer anyway.

" _Lucifer_." He sighed.

"Look, he's probably just trying to get his thoughts together. You almost died, and I've seen him when you're-"

" _No_. _I don't mean I came to see him and he walked out on me_. _Dan_ , _**he's gone**_." He growled internally. He'd never trusted that posh, smug bastard, and now he's gone and done this. He tried to reign in his anger though, so he could get the full story.

"What do you mean he's gone? As in-"

" _As in: the apartment in LUX is empty, the furniture is covered in sheets, he left me a fu- a note saying that he couldn't come back to L.A.-_ "

"A note? Are you freaking kidding me? He left you, and all he does is tell you in a note?! No calls or texts; not even a goodbye in person?! I'll strangle that bastard-!"

" _Dan!_ " she shouted, causing him to quiet. " _I need you to calm down and listen. We need a lead on where he was headed: traffic cam footage, any sightings, any recent purchases with his credit and debit cards_ -"

"That sounds like a good place to start, but can't it wait until morning when we're actually halfway awake?" He pulled on his jeans and bent down to grab one of his shoes anyway. "Where are you? I can pick you up."

" _I'm at LUX, and I'm okay. I just…_ " She sighed, sniffling again. " _I need time to process all this. I_ _ **have**_ _to find him. He could be anywhere right now._ " Dan clenched his hands into fists. First thing he was going to do when that jerk showed up again was cave in his stupid face. He'd never seen so happy in her entire life, aside from the day she had Trixie, and he wouldn't let some half crazy psychotic asshole from God knows where break her heart without paying dearly for it.

"Alright. How about coffee before work? Seven? We can talk about-"

" _Really? I just told you that Lucifer left and you're trying to-_ "

"No! Not like that! I didn't mean to- All I'm saying is that maybe we can get coffee to clear your head so you can tell me what happened. If you want to talk about it…"

" _Yeah, I… I'm, I'm sorry. Yeah. Coffee sounds great. Fine. At the usual cafe down the street from…_ "

"The very same. Drive safe, Chloe." He heard her chuckle sadly over the line.

" _Thanks, Dan, and… I will…_ " With that, she hung up, and Dan headed out of his room and through his kitchen, slipping the device in his pocket. Grabbing his keys from the bowl on counter, he left out his back door, locking it behind him before getting into his car. As he started it, he tried to pick what to do first. He would try traffic cams, he decided. Backing out of his driveway, he headed for the station, determined to find **something** , **anything** before he had to see Chloe.

XxX

Dan sat up suddenly, head snapping up from its position atop his folded arms. He wiped drool off the side of his mouth and looked around, disoriented. He was at his desk, at the station. His phone was vibrating under his arms, and he looked at the screen. Chloe had texted him a good five times now. He looked at the time. Seven. Great. He sighed, trying to shake away the last clinging signs of sleep. He stood, stretching and popping his back. He switched off his PC monitor and pocketed his phone, checking for his keys before leaving the station. He hadn't seen a sign of Lucifer in the footage he'd reviewed thus far, and he really hoped that wouldn't persist as time went on.

"There you are," Chloe said as he approached. He saw two coffee cups on the table. She'd gotten him his favorite. "I was starting to think you'd forgotten about this."

"No," he said, sighing and rubbing at his eyes. "Just had a late night at the station."

"I thought you were at home when I called you?" she asked as he took a seat across from her.

"Yeah, I was, but I went back in after you called. I wanted to be able to tell you I'd found **something** , but I haven't picked up anything from the footage I've seen."

"Maybe he didn't leave in his car," she threw out there. "It's not back at LUX or the apartment, but he wouldn't necessarily need it to get around…" Dan stared at her confused.

"So, what? You think someone else is driving him around instead?" He took a sip of his coffee, closing his eyes at the strong taste of coffee and a hint of caramel.

"He didn't tell anyone he was leaving," she deflected. She didn't have any foolproof evidence of that, but she just had a feeling. "Maze and Linda didn't have a clue. I called them before I got to LUX, and they didn't know a thing."

"Why would he leave though?" Dan questioned. "He had everything going for him. He had you, Trixie, his family that, apparently, he's made up with?"

"It's more complicated than that, but basically." Dan shook his head.

"Did he tell **you** why?"

"I-" She didn't particularly want to share the note with Dan. It felt too personal, close to home. "No, not in person."

"Can I see the note?" he tried. Chloe brought a hand to her face in frustration.

"Dan-" she started.

"No, no. Forget I asked. It's probably… I'm sorry. Just forget I asked. Will you at least tell me a little about what it said?" He had a hopeful tone of voice. "I don't want to pry because I know it's a sore subject, but…" She sighed.

"He…" She sighed again. "He said something about freedom and free will being a lie, that our love wasn't real. He mentioned his parents, Charlotte and his dad, using the two of us as pawns in some big plan. He was worried."

"About?" Another sip of coffee.

"Just worried," she answered. Dan sat back and contemplated her answers.

"So he left because… He thought his parents manipulated the two of you into getting together?" His face was scrunched up in the most confuzzled look. "How does he figure **that**?"

"I don't know! From what he wrote, Charlotte is probably behind it all-" It was then that his brain processed their last few sentences.

"Woah! Wait. Charlotte? Richards?! His mom is-" Dan felt like throwing up whatever was left in his stomach at the statement. "Oh God… I think I might be sick…" Chloe shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Get it together, Dan. I don't like it either, but there's nothing we can do about it."

"I know, but… We…"

Sighing, she replied, "I don't need you to remind me that you two-That's besides the point! My point is Lucifer left because he thought that us being together was just some way for Charlotte to get back at his dad or vice versa." She angrily drained the rest of her coffee cup. "I swear, I'll make Hell seem like a slap on the wrist when I find him," she growled lowly. Dan didn't know how to respond to that.

"So, are we gonna head for the station?" When all he got was a distracted nod, he finished his drink and threw away their empty coffee cups before fishing his keys out of his pocket. He almost felt sorry for the bastard after Chloe's last comment. ' _Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn_ ,' he thought to himself. ' _Especially when said woman is one Chloe Decker_.'

XxX

Three hours later, with no new cases, luckily, and they were still no closer to finding Lucifer than they were when they started. He slammed his hands down on his keyboard, his screen returning to his desktop. Head in his hands, he spoke, frustration evident in his voice. "Okay, either he's really good at avoiding cameras or he can turn his car and himself invisible because I haven't seen a thing that even resembles him. I've got nothing. You?" Chloe looked up from her monitor looking just as miffed as he was.

"No. He hasn't checked into a hotel or used his cards. If he's off the grid, it'll be nearly impossible to track him down." He observed her struggling with herself internally for a few more minutes before breaking the silence.

"Do you want to-" he began to say before stopping himself. No, she definitely didn't want to tell him anymore about it. Why would he even attempt to ask. He didn't cut himself off quick enough however, as she rounded on him with a glare.

"What more could we possibly talk about regarding Lucifer, Dan? What more can I tell you? I love him like I've never loved anyone before and he felt the same. He opened up to me, showed me a side of him I never knew existed. He means the world to me and I will go to the ends of the Earth to find him, bring him back, and make him realize that what we have **is** real, and that I'm not going anywhere despite what he's done and what he thinks about us." She felt a bit winded after that tiny rant, but before she could continue, her computer pinged. She read the screen and a determined smile crept across her face. All the while, Ella had stuck her head out of her space when she heard Chloe's raised voice, looking on in concern.

"Did you find something?" Dan asked, glad to have a reprieve from Chloe's angry love confession. He saw her scribble something down on a loose scrap of paper and tuck it into her pocket before printing something out. Another ping. This time, it was a photograph of him posted on social media. In the dark background of the grainy photo, he was by what appeared to be a bar and a table piled high with betting chips.

"He's in a casino," she stated. She looked at the location tagged with the picture. Las Vegas. Well, that was easier than she thought it'd be. "In Vegas." What wasn't easy was taking in the fact that he had a woman on his arm. She was pretty, blonde, looked high class, fit to be a model. So, this is what it had come to. This is what he did when he left, resorted to his old habits. Unbelievable.

"He's where?" Dan questioned, not sure if he heard her right. He came up behind her, peering at her screen. He frowned in disbelief at the photo. "That unfaithful son of a bitch." He immediately regretted that when he felt a sharp, stinging pain in his right cheek. The two of them looked up when they heard a not so subtle snicker. Ella clamped a hand over her mouth and walked over to them.

"Sorry. I didn't want to seem rude or like I was eavesdropping, which I wasn't doing on purpose by the way. I heard Chloe start ranting about Lucifer. I… assume that's who we're talking about here?" Dan sighed while Chloe nodded.

"Yeah," she responded. "He… went missing."

"More like he left," Dan muttered, to which he received a glare and a confused stare.

"Left? Last time I checked, he and Chloe were inseparable. He strolled in one day going on about the amazing night he had and how he'd never felt more like he belonged somewhere than with Chloe." The blonde's heart melted a bit at the statement. "Are you gonna chase him down?"

"That's the plan." She made to get up, as did Dan. When she noticed, she paused. "Oh, you're not going with me."

"What? Chloe, come on. The dude broke your heart and then left without saying goodbye to you to your face. Then, the next time you see him is in a picture with another woman-"

"Now wait a minute," Ella interrupted. "Lucifer wouldn't just do that. He wouldn't just walk out on us without some explanation. He's not that kind of person. He has to have a perfectly good reason-"

"Like what?" Dan demanded to know.

"Well, since you know where he is now, why don't we go track him down and find out?" Chloe rounded on her now.

"Hold on. What do you mean **we**? This doesn't have anything to do with you, Ella."

"Yes, it does. Lucifer is my friend too you know. Besides, we're tribe, Chloe. I wouldn't just let you run off without backup," she told the detective with a smile. Chloe shook her head, but couldn't hold back a smile herself.

"I guess Maze and Linda _would_ feel left out if I went without them…" Ella grinned at that.

"That's the spirit! You go get Maze and I'll call Linda. We can all meet at your place with our stuff?" Chloe nodded. Fist pumping the air, Ella let out a resounding, "Yes!" and took out her phone. Dan looked between the two of them in wonder.

"I'm coming with you," he insisted.

"So you can try and strangle Lucifer when we find him? No, I don't think so, Dan."

"Chloe-"

"Look, I know that this is kind of personal to you too. I'm grateful that we're still friends after everything we've been through and that you still care about me, but this isn't something you have to get involved with."

"Chloe, you deserve answers. If you find him, there's no guarantee he'll give them to you."

"He wouldn't give them to you either if that were the case." He sighed.

"I know, but at least let me-"

"The station needs you more than I do. Really, Dan, we'll be fine. I just need a few days, maybe a week, to get him back. I'll call if something happens, just… Promise me you won't worry too much about it."

"But…" He hung his head, defeated. "I'll look after Trixie while you're gone." Chloe smiled in relief, embracing him.

"Thank you," she whispered into his shoulder. She saw Ella waiting for her by the elevator. "I'll be back before you know it." With that, she was gone. After the elevator door closed, Dan whipped out his phone before remembering he didn't have Amenadiel's number.

"Dammit, Amenadiel. Of all the times to-"

"You need something, Dan?"

"Jesus Christ!" he exclaimed, whirling around to find the angel in question standing by his desk. "How in the-When did you get here?" Amenadiel smirked at the reaction.

"Just now. You wanted to see me?"

"Yeah. It's about Lucifer. He's gone." The smirk faded.

"Gone? What do you mean gone?"

"He left last night, ended up in Vegas, told Chloe he was never coming back. She went off to go get him. I want to find him first, get some answers out of him, but I don't want to go alone."

"So, you want me as backup in case Lucifer decides to… what exactly?" Dan groaned.

"You're his brother. He'll listen to you. I want to be there for Chloe, but Lucifer would never open up to me." Amenadiel walked over to Chloe's desk, examining the screen's contents. He frowned and turned back to Dan.

"There's no guarantee he'll listen to me either… But I know someone who'll definitely be able to make him talk." Dan raised an eyebrow.

"Who?" Amenadiel shook his head, smiling ever so slightly as he put a hand on Dan's shoulder.

"You'll see."

XxX

"Okay, so… Explain to me again why exactly Lucifer left," Linda said. Chloe sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm just trying to wrap my head around the fact that all of what you're telling us is happening. So… Charlotte is Lucifer's mother, and she… somehow manipulated you and Lucifer into getting together to… to… get back at her ex? Or, that's what he believes. So he leaves because he thinks that everything between the two of you was a mistake." The therapist shook her head in exasperation. "At this rate, **I'll** need a therapist."

"Seriously, he's taking this role playing thing **way** too seriously now-"

"It's not role playing, Ella. This isn't some huge joke or silly game we're playing!" Chloe insisted.

"I'm sorry! I just don't believe that he's the Devil. Seriously, why would he just show up out of the blue on Earth after all this time?"

"Because he got tired of Hell and wanted a fresh start," Maze answered. "That's why he was here. That's why I'm here."

"Also, about that. Demon protector? Why would he need a protector?"

"Because sometimes he would get himself into a mess he couldn't handle by himself. I had swore to stay by his side and give my life for him if I had to. I'm no longer sworn to service for him, but he is my friend, and I'd still gladly do the same." She glowered then. "The only difference this time is that **I'm** the one he's going to need saving from when I find him."

"Okay, everyone just," Chloe began, "Calm down." They all silenced and looked to her. "First of all, I can explain everything fully either on our way there or when we get there. Second, no one's going to hurt or kill Lucifer unless it's me," she state with a smirk, to which Maze grinned back and the other two shook their heads with smiles. "When we get there, we're going to find a place to stay and then go out and look for him."

"Do you know how many casinos are in Vegas?" Maze questioned. "It might take weeks to find him."

"Well, knowing him, he'll do something to cause a scene, and we won't have to look for him," Chloe replied. "If we leave now, we should get there in a little over four hours, five if traffic's bad."

"I call not driving," Ella piped up.

"I second that," Maze agreed. Chloe and Linda looked at each other.

"Do you care to…?" Chloe asked. Linda smiled reassuringly.

"I'll drive," she responded. Maze clapped her hands together.

"Alright! Girl's trip to Vegas!"

"We're not going there to have fun, Maze," Chloe reminded her.

"Correction: YOU are not going there to have fun. We are tagging along because A) Lucifer's our friend, B) You are not going there alone, and C) We want to have fun. So." Ella seemed to agree and Linda appeared to be thinking about the statements. Chloe facepalmed, dragging her suitcase to her car. The girls would be the death of her for sure. She popped open the trunk and helped the other three load her stuff into the car, before Maze ran back into the house claiming she forgot her demon knives (which she did). All the while, no one saw Trixie climb into the back with a backpack on, squeezing between the suitcases and out of sight. Maze returned with the knives and clambered into the backseat after closing the trunk. "Let's get this party started."

XxX

Dan blinked and found himself in Lucifer's penthouse. All of the furniture were covered in sheets, the loft dark and empty feeling, lit only by the sunlight filtering in. On the balcony stood a short man with shoulder length brown hair. His head turned at the sound of wings and smiled sadly. Dan simply stared at his surroundings. "What in…? How did we get here? What-?"

"Who's the guest?" the man asked, leaning against the railing of the balcony, head laying on his arms. Amenadiel went to his side.

"This is Detective Dan Espinoza. He's a friend of mine." The man quirked an eyebrow in amusement, sun making his honey golden brown eyes glimmer.

"So, you're the douchebag detective Luci's always going on about." He stood, walking over to a very wary and nervous Dan, who was standing by the sheet covered piano. "Oh, please. Don't act like this is all new to you. You've been living among angels, and a particularly sexy demon, for ages. Flying here should not be the thing that breaks you."

"I'm still trying to figure out how the Hell…" Dan trailed off as he processed the words. "Wait, we **flew** here?" He looked at Amenadiel. "You **flew** me here? You're… You're an angel?"

"Here we go," Amenadiel muttered under his breath.

"So, all this time that Lucifer's been going on about being the Devil, angels and demons and God and…" He half collapsed half leaned against the piano. "This day just keeps getting better," he whispered, staring at nothing. Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose with an overly dramatic sigh.

"You didn't tell him." A statement, not a question.

"Of course I didn't tell him. He wouldn't have believed me anyway!"

"Amen, their whole posse knows about us, and you've decided to reveal the truth **now** of all times?"

"Show me," Dan spoke up, voice strained and hardly above a whisper. "If you're angels, show me your wings." The two brothers exchanged a look before shrugging and putting space between each other. Amenadiel stretched his gray wings, a smile appearing on his face as he did so. Never again would he take them for granted now that he had them back. "Okay… Okay. You," he said, addressing the other angel, "Your turn." With an eyeroll, he spread his huge golden wings with a sarcastic look. Dan pointed, saying, "Those can't be real."

"Perks of being an archangel, bucko. Of course they're real."

"Arch-Let me guess, Michael?" Dan immediately regretted his answer when he received the most insulted look. Amenadiel choked on air.

"Michael? The first name that comes to your head is Michael?! What-If I were Michael, I would be the most stuck up, obedient, soldier like, blonde hair, blue eyed prick the world's ever seen!"

"Gabriel…" Amenadiel began.

"You're Gabriel?" Dan inquired. "I thought you'd be… Well…"

"More uptight and biblical like than this?" He gestured to his black button up, army green jacket, jeans, and Converse sneakers. Dan scrunched up his face, trying not to sound rude.

"Taller, for one." Gabriel mocked being hurt.

"Ouch! I am **wounded** by your _extremely high_ expectations of how I should look!" Amenadiel rolled his eyes.

"I didn't mean it like that, I swear! I just… You look so human, both of you."

"Of course we do. What, are we supposed to be in white robes, wielding harps and flutes, or in armor with swords and, I don't know, olive branches or something?" Dan opened his mouth before quickly shutting it before he could say something stupid.

"So, you can help us?" he asked instead. Gabriel pretended to think about it for a second.

"Well, let's see. I was the one he called to for help around Christmas. I was the one who convinced him to stop being a girl and show Chloe the truth. We love each other to death and no one knows him better." He ticked each point off on his fingers. "Yeah, pretty sure." Their wings were away again as they made their way over to Dan. "We can explain everything to you later, but right now, we need to know where Luci is."

"Vegas. He's in Las Vegas." The archangel perked up at that, an evil grin of sorts appearing on his face.

"Oo. This just got **much** more interesting! Who's up for a few nights of all the lovely ladies you could ask for, all you can eat or drink, and a little bit of gambling?!" The two friends looked at each other.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, man?" Dan asked him. Amenadiel looked halfway apologetic.

"I'm starting to ask myself that too."

"What's the worst that could happen, right?" Dan turned to Gabriel.

The archangel exclaimed, "Great! So, what's the plan _oh finally enlightened one_?"

Closing A/N: So, that was that. I don't know how long it's going to be yet, or when the next update will be, but the next chapter will be mainly Lucifer… I think. Also, time to explain everything to Ella and Dan! That's _totally_ going to go well. Anyway, thoughts?


	2. You'll Find No Sympathy Here (Sin City)

Chapter Two: You Will Find No Sympathy Here (Sin City)

A/N: Not spell checked, as usual, because I'm lazy and I've got a test tomorrow I should be studying for. Anyways… This'll be mainly about Lucifer, with a few scenes of his favorite siblings. Don't want to spoil anything big, so I'll just say enjoy. :)

Lucifer felt as if his heart was shattering into a million pieces, tearing at the seams, being frozen and beginning to crack. Maybe he shouldn't have destroyed his car when he let the truth dawn on him. Charlotte's words at the trial, looking back at everything up until now… Why didn't he see? Chloe shouldn't even exist, so of course their love wasn't real. She wasn't even truly real if he thought about it. Despite him feeling that way, his heart was breaking. He loved Chloe with every fiber of his being, would never love anyone the way he loved her. But he couldn't do it anymore. He couldn't stand being manipulated like a piece on a chessboard once again by a being who dared call him a son. He had had enough.

That's when he went up to his loft and made a decision. He couldn't stay here, at least not now. In an effort to test his and Chloe's love for each other, his, quote on quote, "father" and psychotic snake of a mother had nearly gotten them both killed! No more. He would leave L.A. to search for answers. More specifically, he would find someone who could help him obtain his answers. He knew just the person, and they currently resided in Las Vegas. Alright then. Before he left, however, he needed to tell Chloe… What exactly could he tell her? She would be heartbroken either way. He couldn't, in good conscience, leave without saying something, so he grabbed a small sheet of paper and began writing.

"Chloe, my love," he began saying to himself, writing on top of his grand piano. "I have no idea if you'll find this or if you'll ever read it, but if it is you reading it…" Every word made his heart ache just a little more, until his hands were shaking too much to write properly, until he found himself apologizing for ever coming into her life. He felt sick, worthless. He grabbed a nearby pencil, because he was sure he'd erase the words as soon as he wrote them down, and sure enough, _I love you, always_ ended up getting erased, hurting him too much to keep. He put the pencil down and grabbed the pen again, signing his name before his emotions became too much. He felt the pen in his hand crack before bursting into several pieces of jagged plastic, ink dripping off his hand. He threw the remains on the ground before stomping over to the balcony, standing on the railing, shouting to the dark, starry sky. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME, YOU BASTARD?!" He wailed to the Heavens. "You couldn't even let me have… the one I love…" he whispered, voice quivering. "You could have killed her." He hung his head for a moment, trying to get himself together. "You ruin everything," he murmured into his chest before looking up again with devastated eyes. "You and mum just won't give it up, will you? You have to drag your children, and everything they care about, into your mess." He began shaking.

"You ruin everything! Everything! I'll never forgive you! DO YOU HEAR ME?! NEVER!" During his words, clouds had gathered above Los Angeles, thunder rumbling at his last statement. Lucifer, irate and beyond furious, screamed, wings outstretched behind him. He screamed in pain, in fury, lost, broken. It started as a scream, turning into an inhuman shriek, the angelic sound of distress, much louder and piercing than that of an average angel's. Everything fragile within a few miles radius splintered, shattered, or cracked, any human or other non-angel being being forced to cover their ears. Even then, they clutched their heads in pain due to the sheer decibel level of the sound. Lightning crackled continuously when the shriek began, a shadow of an angel with broken wings flashing in his apartment. No doubt every angel, human, demon, and tortured soul could hear him. An onslaught of rain bombarding the Earth. A flutter of large wings, feathers dripping.

"Lucifer!" Gabriel shouted, getting to his feet unsteadily, the shriek drowning out his voice. He had landed by the balcony before it blasted him back a few feet, causing him to lose his footing on the wet floor. His ears were ringing, vision starting to blur because of the pure **agony** he could feel coming from his beloved older brother. "LUCIFER!" he screamed, hands over his ears in an effort to block out the sound. Gabriel redoubled his efforts, using his grace to try and block some of the force of the sound. With a struggle, he made it to Lucifer, pulling him down from the railing unceremoniously. The Devil's shrieking stopped, replaced by sobs as his younger brother held onto him. "Luci," Gabriel whispered, taking in his brother's disheveled appearance. His hair was a wet, curly mess. His suit was ripped, body shaking, whether from emotion or some other cause he didn't know. His white glowing eyes expressed everything he couldn't voice. The sight made the younger brother have to swallow past a lump in his throat.

"I can't do this anymore, Gabriel. I can't." Lucifer, arm slung over Gabriel's shoulder, made his way over to his note, folding it and picking it up and laying it in the center of the piano's top. "I can't keep doing this to her. I can't stay here."

"Luci, what are you talking about?" Gabriel inquired, worried.

"Chloe," he answered simply, moving away to stand on his own. "Everything that's happened, the poison, Uriel, mum, anything and everything that could've gone wrong because… because I fell in love with her. Then, realizing that all of it was orchestrated for reasons we may never know. I walked right into mum and Dad's trap. No more." Gabriel finally registered what his brother was implying.

"Lucifer, no." He grabbed his arm in an attempt to keep him from walking away. "She needs you, now more than ever. How do you think she'd react when she finds you missing?"

"She's safer without me! Besides… I don't even deserve her."

"Lucifer-"

"No! I…" He squeezed his eyes shut, fists trembling. "I just need time to think. I need to be somewhere else, anywhere but here." He jerked his arm out of Gabriel's grasp and started towards the balcony again.

"Lucifer, you can't leave. Think of everyone here who cares about you. Chloe, Trixie, Maze, Linda, Amenadiel, **me** ," the brunette tried to reason. Lucifer cast his watery eyes in his brother's direction.

"I truly am lucky to have you, Gabriel," he whispered. "I fell because of something stupid, mainly my pride. I'm selfish, unwanted, dangerous, and the center of everyone's biggest problems. I don't deserve to exist and yet… Here you are, still at my side despite everything I've done, to others and to you…" With a snap of his fingers, all the furniture in sight found itself covered by sheets, the note visible against the piano's sheet. The lights went out, the room illuminated only by the lightning continuing outside. "I love you, brother." One moment, the two were in an embrace, Gabriel feeling a teardrop land on his cheek as he latched onto his beloved older brother. The next, he was clutching cold, thin air, just barely leaning forward, hands holding onto the space above him instead of soft curls. It didn't take him long to realize that the tear slowly trailing down his cheek wasn't his, and it was enough to make his knees buckle. He sat there, his own tears now falling slowly, silently. Lucifer's words, his low opinion of himself, his view of the current situation… He got to his feet, watching the rain slowly begin to back off, making a decision as he prepared to take off again. If Chloe went looking for Lucifer, he would do everything in his power to help her find him.

XxX

Amenadiel's head snapped up at the sight of an intense, raging storm outside. The sky had been perfectly clear mere moments ago. Then he heard it, an angelic shriek. He jumped to his feet, hoping he hadn't startled Maze awake, running out his front door right into the downpour. He flew to the roof, observing the city's skyline, trying to find the source of the quickly intensifying noise. He covered his ears for a moment as his eardrums rang violently before resuming his search, but as quickly as it had started, it stopped, and he let his hands drop back to his side. He flew back down to the front door, where Maze was getting to her feet, a look of pain on her face.

"Are you alright, Maze?" he asked her. She nodded.

"I was convinced I was dying for a minute, but yeah." She gasped silently in pain as she rubbed her ears gingerly. "What was that?"

"An angelic sound of distress."

"Lucifer?" He didn't know, but he would check in on his brother once they got out of the rain.

"I'll go check on him tomorrow morning. For now, let's get out of the rain."

XxX

"Gone? What do you mean gone?" Amenadiel asked Dan, leaning against the detective's desk.

"He left last night, ended up in Vegas, told Chloe he was never coming back. She went off to go get him. I want to find him first, get some answers out of him, but I don't want to go alone."

"So you want me as backup in case Lucifer… what exactly?" He heard Dan grumble, talking about him being Lucifer's brother, thinking that would make a difference. Amenadiel looked at Chloe's computer screen, frowning at the picture of Lucifer. He focused for a second, slowing and almost stopping time as he flew to Lucifer's penthouse. He looked around in shock at the covered furniture, eyes traveling around the room until they landed on a figure on the balcony. His head lay on his arms, looking out over the now bustling city. He let out a breath, voice and demeanor much less positive and peppy as usual.

"Amenadiel," he whispered sadly. "What brings you here?" He sounded so… lost.

"So he really is gone," the other angel stated. Gabriel nodded.

"He needed somewhere to start fresh, away from Chloe and all of this. I don't know where he is."

"The shriek and the storm." Gabriel nodded again.

"Yep." The brunette pulled a Tootsie Pop out of his pocket, ripping off the wrapper and sticking it in his mouth. "He… He was so broken, Amen. He… He looked like he'd just lost all hope of having a life here. He just left…" Amenadiel wanted to go over and comfort him, but thought better of it.

"I need your help finding him. Well, me and another person concerned about Chloe." Gabriel scoffed.

"If I knew where to look, I'd already be there, dragging him back into town. I'll do what I can, but I don't know how much help I'll be." A moment of silence.

"I'll be back," the angel replied, disappearing briefly. He was turned, facing Dan back in the police station. Time resumed at its normal pace. "There's no guarantee he'll listen to me either… But I know someone who'll definitely be able to make him talk." Dan didn't look like he believed him.

"Who?" Amenadiel put on a small smile, imagining a conversation between his two brothers as they played poker or rolled dice together in a Vegas casino.

"You'll see," he responded, putting a hand on Dan's shoulder and flying them to Lucifer's penthouse. Gabriel was facing the city again, sucker nowhere in sight now. He turned around this time, however, attempting a smile. It was amusing to see Dan freak out over them being angels, though it was worrying at first. He felt relieved when Gabriel seemed to become his usual self, satire and sarcasm thick in the air. He couldn't believe his ears when Dan asked if Gabriel was Michael. In the end, without much explanation, Dan took the revelation pretty well, all things considered. He and Gabriel went to his side as he explained what he wanted to do. They would later pack and get into Dan's car because, "There's no way I'm ever flying anywhere with you two unless I'm in a plane. I felt like I was turned inside out for a second." They, with a shared laugh, agreed, and began the few hours journey to Nevada.

XxX

Lucifer didn't really pay attention to where he was going. All he really saw were the blurred lights of city skylines, bright stars above him, the clouds shrouding him from view below. A strong breeze flowed underneath his wings, blowing his hair in his face and making his eyes sting. He discovered long before that, however, that he was crying. Tears streamed down his face as he tried to figure out where to go. He didn't really know anyone outside of Los Angeles, except… But she wouldn't want to see him nowadays, would she? He'd already decided on going to Vegas to get her help, but would now be the best time? He was the Devil, and could go anywhere really and be just fine, but… He could use a familiar presence right now. He dropped down silently in front of a casino, well known for its underground operations and being a safe haven for a select crowd. He'd been welcomed into the Eden casino the last time he was here. Surely nothing's changed.

"Angel, demon, or human?" someone at the front desk asked him as soon as he walked in.

"Pardon?" Lucifer asked back.

"Gotta know whatcha are, pal. Protocol, you see? Hafta know what every person who comes in here is, for safety reasons and rules. So, angel, demon, or human?" Lucifer observed the man behind the desk in a cheap suit, hair slicked to the side, eyes staring at a computer. Taking a closer look, he saw gnarled skin and dark, soulless eyes.

"Well, you're a demon! Surely you'd recognize me?" The man at the desk looked up briefly before doing a double take, gaping. Lucifer half smiled, thinking about how he must seem with his curly, windblown hair, ripped clothes, and once again angelic aura.

"M-My Lord!" the demon exclaimed quietly, demeanor changing at once. "What happened to you? We all heard the shriek, but…" He gestured to Lucifer's dress with worry. His suit jacket and button down were ripped down the back and on the sides, bits of fabric dangling feebly.

"Nothing of importance. Now," he began, clapping his hands together, "Is she here?" The demon knew he would only ask about one person.

"Where she usually is, rolling sevens to beat the band. She'll be happy to see you, no doubt."

"Why's that?"

"You'll find out," was all he offered. With a quick thanks, Lucifer strolled into the rest of the casino, turning heads as he did so. The loud chatter of each person died down quite a bit as they took in his appearance, the blanket of sound almost muffled as he made his way to a crowded craps table. At the end, with a huge pile of betting chips taking up most of the space in front of her, stood a stunning blonde in a leather ensemble that would make Maze jealous. The outfit showed just the right amount of skin in just the right places, allowing a viewer to interpret her however they wished and leaving certain things to the imagination. She had a woman next to her blow on her dice before she threw them with a confident grin. Lucifer snatched a die off another table, using a bit of grace to land it on the number he wanted before throwing it in unison with hers. The blonde's grin turned into a confused frown as she observed the three dice in front of her: six six six. She looked up to find Lucifer standing at the opposite end of the table.

"Hello, darling. Miss me?" he inquired, meeting her gaze with a charming smile. She scoffed and everyone turned to look at him. Her frown transformed into a hard stare, and as she made her way over to him, he felt some of his bravado wane. "I'll take that as a maybe?" That's when he felt his head wrench to the side and his cheek sting just a bit. He paused, as did everyone around him, before turning his head back to face forward slowly, flexing his jaw. "Alright, that's a no then-" He was cut off as she embraced him tightly, much to his confusion.

"You do not know what a relief it is to see a familiar friendly face around here," she murmured in his ear before letting go, a now pleasant smile replacing her frown. "So what brings you back here at this time of night?" She took a step back to look him over, raising an eyebrow. "And what did you do to your clothes?"

" _That_ is a tale for another time. Right now, I have a favor to ask of you." She quickly grabbed a drink from the bar nearby as he told her this, snagging Lucifer's arm for a photo where he threw up a fake smile and hoped he looked halfway like he was enjoying himself. Her smile grew into something more devious, and she headed for a guarded staircase, security parting for her.

"Shall we?" Lucifer gave a sheepish smile. That's not what he had in mind at all, but he would explain things to her once they were out of the open.

"Lead the way," he answered, gesturing for her to proceed. He followed her, reaching a penthouse situated above the casino that she'd managed to buy off the owner. She closed the door, making sure it was locked before grabbing Lucifer by the lapels of his suit jacket towards her. He let out a surprised noise before quickly dodging her attempt at a kiss, moving his head out of the way. She fixed him with a let down and confused stare.

"You **didn't** come here for sex? I've never seen you turn someone down before." She slowly let him go, watching him put a bit of distance between them.

"I hate to turn you down, really, I do, but I came to ask for your help. I need someone who can get me information without arousing suspicion, and you are one of the most well equipped for the job. You're also one of the only people I can trust to do this."

"Me? You trust **me**? I was under the impression that you hated my guts after everything that happened between me and your brother."

"Gabriel may have taken offense to that, but I thought it was actually rather amusing. He doesn't like being tricked. That's his thing, if you know what I mean, at least when he's on Earth." She nodded absentmindedly, seemingly lost in thought.

"How big of a favor are we talking?" she finally asked. Lucifer eyed her dubiously.

"Remember that you still owe me. I did save your life after all."

"Oh, so my helping you establish a place in Los Angeles and starting you out here on Earth wasn't payment enough?"

With his arms crossed, he replied, "Well I could've done just as fine on my own."

"But if it wasn't for me, you and Mazikeen wouldn't have known where on Earth to go after leaving Hell." Lucifer attempted to reply before being cut off. "My point is, if you want my help, then you need to… Fix a problem for me. Nothing too serious, just cleanup and all that." He eyed her warily as she took a seat on the queen sized bed in the room.

"If you wanted someone taken out, why not hire a hitman or assassin? Better yet, why not do it yourself?" He sat down on a rather comfy, plush chair situated near the closed window.

"Because I'm undercover, genius! No one knows who I am here except you and I'd like to keep it that way, for both our sakes. Besides, the guys after me aren't… exactly… human…" She looked down and away after that, expression almost embarrassed. Lucifer automatically guessed.

"How the bloody Hell did you get mixed up in underground demon dealings?"

"It wasn't me; it was my vessel, this, this, Candice McBride. She worked for them, thinking they were human. She did some shady things, like seducing and killing any of their known enemies, infiltration in busy places like this… She messed up along the way though, so now there's a gang after her, ergo, after **me**." Lucifer gaped at her for a moment.

"You act like they're attack dogs that I can call off at any moment."

"Well, they are, aren't they?" the blonde questioned, looking at the Devil curiously as an unsure look passed over his face.

"I'm not so sure they will now. It's been a few years since I've been in Hell full time, and even then, there were those who chose to reside here on Earth away from my domain. Do you know who leads them?"

"It started with a "z" I think." A "z". Z z z… Zephyr? A loyal one, so not him. Zaine was a newbie. Zenmas? Dead. Hmm…

"Zagan?" Lucifer finally supplied. "Looked like he just got out of bed, threw on a suit, and went about his day? Small eyes, reddish black hair?" She nodded. Lucifer threw his hands up, silently cursing. Of course she would get mixed up with a _Legion_ member. Of all the factions to come across, it had to be the _Legion_. Come on! Hasn't he gone through enough already? "Legion of the Dark. Of all the factions-"

"Just get them off my back. I've already had a few close calls and, frankly, I'm sick of looking over my shoulder 24/7 expecting someone with demon knives to show up out of nowhere."

"Give me your word that you'll pay me back in kind once I've dealt with the issue and I'll give you mine." She gave him a disbelieving look, head in her hand, elbow resting atop her leg. "You of all people know that I don't lie and that my word is my-"

"I know!" she shouted before releasing a long breath. Quieter, she tried again. "I know. Look, these days, I can't trust anyone, especially here in Vegas. There's a reason they call this place Sin City. Everyone looks out for number one, every man, woman, demon, and angel for themselves. Force of habit I guess. Yes, I'll help you. Who am I going to be looking into back in California?"

"Mum. Because of her, much of my life there has become meaningless, revealed to be a downright lie: her purpose here on Earth, my one true love-"

"You tried to settle down with someone?" she asked, intrigued. He nodded.

"Chloe Decker, a brilliant detective, a charming, brave, beautiful woman… a human. She's special though, in more ways than one… And that's why I had to leave her…" She observed the change in his mood, " _almost"_ feeling sympathy because of the look that settled over his face.

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?"

"No, I suppose not." He hadn't expected her to be, but it would've been a nice change.

Harshly, she told him, "You will find no sympathy here." She crossed her arms to further highlight her point, cold eyes looking right at him. "Sorry to disappoint," she said with a hint of sarcasm. "I'm not here to hear you talk about your feelings. I'm here because we're friends from a different time. That aside, I think I can handle it, your mom, I mean."

"Alright then, where shall we start on your end?"

"In the casinos. If I keep up appearances, make a little too much money here and there, maybe make a scene, they'll send someone after me, and then you can get them to talk without lifting a finger. We'll go from there." An absentminded reply from Lucifer caused her to frown. There was an awkward silence between the two for a few minutes before she spoke again. "Got a place to stay tonight? You're always welcome here. We'll have to share the bed, unless you want to sleep on the floor?

"No, it's fine. Thank you-" Before he could say her name, she cut him off.

"Call me Candice, or Candy I guess. That's what the vessel's friends called her. Candy, Candy M. You don't know who's listening." As she spoke, she climbed under the sheets of the room's bed, making herself comfortable, beckoning him over.

"Candy then." Hesitantly, cautiously, he joined her, keeping a comfortable amount of space between them. Turning on his side, facing away from her, he closed his eyes, falling into a fitful slumber, thoughts a whirlwind of _I'm sorry_ and _Chloe…_

A/N: This had been about halfway written and today is the first day of the school year where I didn't have homework, so I thought, "Hey, let's get this done, shall we?" I feel like the conversation with Candy dragged on, but other than that, I expect this plot to be much more complex than originally planned. Hope you enjoyed and see y'all next update (most likely in the very distant future).


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